That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that his biggest influences were “the old rockers” and early Clapton

By Steve Newton I love listening to these old soundbites of me hangin’ out with AC/DC‘s Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson at a Vancouver hotel room, sippin’ tea and chattin’ it up. The vast majority of interviews I’ve done since getting into the music-writing game back in ’82 with Vancouver’sĀ Georgia Straight newspaper have been done … Continue reading That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that his biggest influences were “the old rockers” and early Clapton

Kim Mitchell says “It’s 1986! Wouldn’t you be shakin’ like a human being?”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 22, 1986 By Steve Newton When Kim Mitchell plays Expo Theatre this Monday (August 25), one of the cooler tunes emanating over the Expo grounds is sure to be his “Go For Soda”. Mitchell had a big hit with the song last year, but it wasn’t just the blue-jeaned, party-hearty fans … Continue reading Kim Mitchell says “It’s 1986! Wouldn’t you be shakin’ like a human being?”

That time I hired an Elvis impersonator for my mom’s 87th birthday and he stole her away to Vegas!

photos by julie katz By Steve Newton Okay, so maybe he didn’t steal her away to Vegas. But Steve “Elvis” Elliott sure charmed the heck outta my mom during his one-hour show at the Waverly Seniors VillageĀ in Chilliwack today. Elliott–a resident of the ‘Wack who travels all around B.C. performing Elvis Presley tribute shows–rolled out … Continue reading That time I hired an Elvis impersonator for my mom’s 87th birthday and he stole her away to Vegas!

Ever wonder why the Allman Brothers look so damn happy on the cover of At Fillmore East?

By Steve Newton The Allman Brothers’ At Fillmore East is widely recognized as one of the greatest live albums in rock history. And you won’t get any arguments about that from me. The band was at its peak, guitarists Duane Allman and Dickey Betts trading the type of inspired licks that would make future ABB … Continue reading Ever wonder why the Allman Brothers look so damn happy on the cover of At Fillmore East?

That time Gregg Allman told me how Allman Brothers roadie Red Dog dared him to redo “Whipping Post”

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Gregg Allman back in February of 1998 he was touring behind his fifth solo release, Searching for Simplicity. That album opened with an unplugged version of “Whipping Post”, the song he wrote for the Allman Brothers‘ debut album in 1969, but which didn’t reach its full potential until it … Continue reading That time Gregg Allman told me how Allman Brothers roadie Red Dog dared him to redo “Whipping Post”

That time Roger Glover got pissed off when I mentioned how loud Deep Purple was: “that’s a bullshit statement”

By Steve Newton Most rock freaks as old as me remember back to 1985 when Deep Purple had reunited its classic Mark II lineup and was headed out on tour behind its Perfect Strangers album. When the band set its sights on Vancouver I was pretty psyched about getting the chance to interview Roger Glover–and … Continue reading That time Roger Glover got pissed off when I mentioned how loud Deep Purple was: “that’s a bullshit statement”

That time Gord Downie told me about the Tragically Hip’s Saturday Night Live gig

By Steve Newton On March 25, 1995, the Tragically Hip played Saturday Night Live, when one of my fave actors, John Goodman (“Mark it zero!”), was hosting. Fellow Kingstonite Dan Aykroyd introduced the band, which surprised the hell out of peeps by not opening with a certified crowd-pleasing rocker like “New Orleans is Sinking” or … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me about the Tragically Hip’s Saturday Night Live gig

That time Malcolm Young told me what inspired AC/DC’s “Bedlam in Belgium” and how “music tames the beast”

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Malcolm Young and Brian JohnsonĀ at their Vancouver hotel room in 1983 it was less than two months since the release of AC/DC‘sĀ eighth internationally released studio album, Flick of the Switch. One of the more intriguing tracks on the LP, the third one to feature Johnson on vocals, was “Bedlam … Continue reading That time Malcolm Young told me what inspired AC/DC’s “Bedlam in Belgium” and how “music tames the beast”

That time Gord Downie told me that the Tragically Hip would love to make a record every month

By Steve Newton Here’s the last audio excerpt I’m gonna post from the fourth interview I did with Gordon Downie, back in July of ’95. As the interview wound down I asked the legendary Canuck rocker if the Tragically Hip ever got pressure from its record label to crank records out by a particular date. … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me that the Tragically Hip would love to make a record every month

Texas blues-rock guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek dies from a heart attack at 58

By Steve Newton Blues fans are learning some sad news today. Smokin’ Joe Kubek, the Texas blues-rock guitarist best known for his work alongside guitarist-vocalist Bnois King, died of a heart attack yesterday (October 11). Kubek, 58, passed away minutes before he was to appear on stage at the Pleasure Island Seafood & Blues Festival … Continue reading Texas blues-rock guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek dies from a heart attack at 58

That time Craig Northey told me what he really thinks about the Hip not being big in the States

By Steve Newton I did the last of my five interviews with Gord Downie back in October of 1996, when the Tragically Hip was at its peak of popularity. At that pointĀ the latest Hip CD, Trouble at the Henhouse, had sold about 100,000 copies in the U.S., which, while a respectable number, still paled drastically … Continue reading That time Craig Northey told me what he really thinks about the Hip not being big in the States

That time Tony Iommi told me about that Spinal Tap moment with Stonehenge props on Black Sabbath’s Born Again tour

I’m pretty sure these are the smaller Stonehenge props Iommi mentions at the very end of the excerpt. By Steve Newton Previously I’ve offered up audio excerpts from my 1984 interview with Tony Iommi in which the Black Sabbath guitarist talked about blowing up singer Ian Gillan’s boat during recording sessions for Born Again, and … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me about that Spinal Tap moment with Stonehenge props on Black Sabbath’s Born Again tour